Hola! Yesterday night (New Years eve) we arrived around 9:30 pm and were able to get to our hotel right away. Our hotel is called Villa Del Campo and its a small and simple place.

We went out to the Zocalo (plaza) for New Years and ate at a nice restaurant. I was happily surprised to see that all of the shops and restaurants don’t have doors and they are just open air. They also have a tradition here where they fill egg shells with confetti and throw them. It’s really fun!

At the restaurant we ordered Mexican food and one of our group members got fried grasshoppers. I tried one, barely. It’s very crunchy but they are seasoned so that you can only taste the seasoning. Interesting!

Today, New Year’s Day, we had breakfast at a nice place with an open roof. After that, we toured a Mascal making place and got to taste 3 different kinds. Strong!!

We went to dinner at a home in Oaxaca that made mole (spiced sauce with coca) and tres leche cake. Sooo yummy!

Tonight, we have free time. I am walking town with group members and we just stopped at a cafe with wifi because I can’t get wifi in my hotel at all.

I’m hoping to blog about more later on and I will post pictures on Facebook! Happy new year (:

I have successfully made it to the airport and through security (2 1/2 hours early…oops). I’ve got a Starbucks coffee and now it’s time to wait. Today is my first time flying solo and also my first time being in Mexico.

I stopped at an adorable shop in the airport called Zozo to get a gift for my host family. I found a coffee mug with a Mexican sugar skull on it!! (Photo below)

My flight leaves Minneapolis at 1:45 this afternoon and I am beyond excited! I will be meeting with my group in Houston this afternoon to fly to Oaxaca, MX together. If all goes correctly with the flights today, we will arrive at 8:30 p.m. in order to celebrate the new year!

For over a year, I have been planning and preparing for my study abroad trip to Oaxaca, Mexico. After all the chaos of getting a passport and planning for the trip, I am finally ready. My flight leaves New Years Eve and we will land (hopefully) in Mexico just in time for a party and fireworks. I will be staying in Oaxaca until the 16th of January and I am really looking forward to the adventure.

During the trip, we will spend some of the time at Hotel Azucenas, a bed & breakfast and the other portion of our time at what is called a home-stay. We will be traveling to the famous Monte Alban and a hot springs while in Oaxaca, among many other ‘ma and pop’ coffee shops and restaurants. The studying part of being abroad will be spent in a classroom aiding the teacher with art.

I am most nervous for the culture and language barrier of the host family at our home stay. I am very excited to try their coffee and see the Mexican classrooms. Stay tuned for more about my Oaxacan adventure!